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About the Sign Lady

 



I’m Charlene Jacobs and I love UConn Basketball. I have enjoyed supporting the team by bringing signs with me to games. At times they are as simple as “Go Huskies” or “Defense,”  or “3” for a 3 Point Basket while others are more personal, saying “Happy Birthday” to a player or “Congratulations Seniors” on senior night. In a lot of cases these players come to Connecticut from far away and it’s important to me to let them know that I care and encourage them to feel at home. They usually acknowledge my signs and seem to appreciate them. Dressed in my UConn attire—from UConn earrings, hair scrunchies, shirt, jacket and many pins—I bring my signs to each game I attend. I have traveled to St. Petersburg, Florida for the National Championship, to Maui, Hawaii, for the Maui Invitational, and to several local games at Madison Square Garden, Providence Civic Center, Hartford Civic Center and Gampel Pavilion. Over time, fans sitting around me began looking forward to what sign I would have with me at each game. They began referring to me as the “Sign Lady”.

UConn Basketball is exciting and frustrating at the same time. It’s an enjoyable way to pass the cold winters in Connecticut; each game becomes part of the water cooler conversations at work the next day. We refer to the players by their first names, like we’ve known them all of our lives. We compliment as well as criticize their game.

Throughout these players’ four years at UConn, we get to know a little about their personal lives and more about their life on the court. We like all of them. Every player is special to us. But before we know it, their four years have come and gone, and they move on to a variety of careers. Some we hear about in the news, the others we’re left to wonder about where they went and what they are doing.

As college kids they are involved in much more than playing basketball and academics. They participate in many volunteer functions, including the Juvenile Diabetes Walk, where the players are available for autographs, and the annual Thanksgiving Food Drive that Coach Calhoun founded. They also find time for fans like me to simply lift the spirits of someone in need. I found this out personally back in April of 1999. Two weeks after they had won the National Championship and the team had many functions to attend, I had a subarachnoid hemorrhage at the UConn Parade. A few days later, Edmund Saunders (power forward ‘97-‘00) came to visit me at Hartford Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, and Ricky Moore (guard ‘95-‘99) called me from a cell phone to wish me well. Thanks Edmund and Ricky for the special things you do. How special is that?! From that week on, I knew that I wanted to let all other UConn fans know how special these players are off the court and follow their careers after college.

I’ve often wondered what career paths many players have taken after school. I know there are other people who wonder too. Through this website, I’ve taken on the challenge of finding out where some of our players are now. They are all very interesting individuals and I hope you enjoy learning more about them as much as I am enjoying catching up with them.

I would like to thank Murray Williams (forward ‘87-‘91) for giving me the opportunity to interview him. Murray was my first contact and was willing to provide a few other players’ contact information to help me get started. Murray, thanks for making my basketball hobby/interest a reality.

Credits also go to Chana Monahan, our webmaster, Ruthie Ursone for the ongoing editing work and Tom Lavieri for his ideas in getting the website started. Their expertise has helped this project come to life.

Char Jacobs
The Sign Lady
The Huskies #1 Fan